Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) would not directly address to a person who made a mistake but he would use general expressions encompassing the entire community. Thus he would correct mistakes without offending the faulty person in front of the society.
It was narrated by Aisha (r. anha), Umm al-Mu’minin:
“When the Prophet (pbuh) was informed of anything about a certain man, he would not say: “What is the matter with so and so?”Rather, he would say:
“What is the matter with the people that they say such and such?” (Abu Dawud, Adab, 5/4788)
And when the Prophet (pbuh) sometimes saw something committed that he did not approve of, he would say:
“What is it that I saw you …” (Bukhari, Manaqib, 25; Muslim, Salat, 119) in order to state his disapproval.
In human relations, it is very important not to offend people, to address them with general statements so as not to cause them to feel ashamed. This is the common characteristic of those who comprehend the reality of Islam; because Allah’s path does not lead to broken hearts but to mended ones. In fact, many of those who are looked upon and excluded from the community because of their faults might be gained back to the blessed atmosphere of Islam by means of such a considerate approach.
Here is another exemplary scene from the life of our beloved Prophet (pbuh) in this context:
Narrated on the authority of Ya’la b. Umayya (r.a.):
“The Apostle of Allah (pbuh) saw a man washing in a public place without a lower garment. So he mounted the pulpit, praised and extolled Allah and said:
“Allah is characterized by modesty and concealment. So when any of you washes, he should conceal himself. (Abu Dawud, Hammam, 2; Nasai, Ghusl, 7)
As a reminder of Allah’s attribute as the Veiler of sins (Sattar), the Prophet (pbuh) ordered that the servants should cover themselves. In other words, fulfilling the requirements of this command means adorning oneself with the morals that Allah laid down in the Qur’an and the teachings of his Prophet (pbuh). In this respect, Allah’s Apostle (pbuh) encouraged his followers to be modest and to cover themselves without offending them.
People who are naturally prone to commit sins do not like to be openly reproached because of their faults. Even though people forgive others’ mistakes with difficulty, they want their own mistakes to be forgiven and do not like them to be known. Because of this, Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) would never tell people’s faults to their faces; on the contrary, he would find a way to guide them to the correct path without breaking their feelings.
Anas b. Malik (r.a.) narrated:
The Prophet (pbuh) once saw a man with yellow dye covering his body that he (the Prophet) dissaproved of. When the man stood up to leave, Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) told his Companions:
“Tell this man to wash the yellow dye off his body.” Thus, the Prophet (pbuh) corrected inappropriate behavior without offending the man. (Ibn Hanbal, III, 133)
One of the names of Allah the Almighty is “Sattar al-Uyub.” This name refers to the One Who veils the defects and sins. A believer should adorn himself with this Divine name and with the exemplary manners of Allah’s Messenger and his Companions; and he should try to veil the mistakes of others as much as possible. At least one should abstain from offending and looking someone down in front of others. He should know that such an approach would not prevent, but encourage, the committing of sins.